Next week marks another Thanksgiving. Although the meaning and
reason for the holiday may have changed over the years, it is still
a time to celebrate with family and friends.
Next week marks another Thanksgiving. Although the meaning and reason for the holiday may have changed over the years, it is still a time to celebrate with family and friends.
The memories of past celebrations become the foundation of our traditions. With each passing Thanksgiving, new memories are created. Although many old family traditions should continue, there is always room to add a new tradition. This year, my family will be adding something new to our Thanksgiving Day table. Since it is from the grill, I have the hope that it will become a new tradition too.
Many people do not believe me when I recount my earliest Thanksgiving memory. This is probably because of my age at the time. I was only 11 months old, but I distinctly recall a specific moment. One reason I am able to recall the memory is because of a very special photo.
I remember the kitchen seemed to be a very exciting place. There was quite a bit of activity and much of it happened to be centered in one part of the kitchen. There was a large box with a door on it. The big people walked up to it, opened it and then walked away. Being wide eyed and curious, I wanted to know what this was all about. My curiosity lead me to the box and as luck would have it, I could see what was inside It had a glass window. I walked closer to it, looked through the glass for a few moments and started to point. There was something inside. Of course, it was our Thanksgiving turkey. I remember thinking that everyone was at my grandma’s house because of what was inside; it was very special.
By some miracle and quick action from a photographer, this became a moment that was indelibly printed into my mind and onto film. Once again, people do not believe me when I tell them that I remember discovering my first thanksgiving turkey.
You may recall that last year, I talked about how to grill a turkey indirectly. Although this is a tasty and wonderful way to prepare the turkey, my grandmother was not exactly thrilled with the idea of breaking the tradition of an oven-roasted turkey. I knew that it would take some convincing and bargaining to get a turkey on the grill this year.
I actually thought all hope was lost on ever serving a grilled turkey for Thanksgiving. That was until I purchased my rotisserie set. Over the past few weeks, I have become very fond of it. After she sampled a Cornish game hen, a chicken, tri-tip roast and pork sirloin roast from the rotisserie, she warmed up to the idea of a smoky fire-roasted turkey a little more. We struck a bargain! We would oven-roast a slightly smaller turkey than we had in years past and in addition, fire roast a breast portion from another turkey on the rotisserie. We continue to keep the tradition of an oven-roasted turkey while creating a new tradition of fire roasting a turkey on the grill.
To prepare your additional breast portion or whole turkey on the rotisserie, follow the specific instructions that came with your rotisserie equipment. My instructions say to cook a turkey to an internal temperature of 185 degrees, but 165 to 170 degrees is fine. Since a breast portion of turkey or whole turkey itself is slightly larger on one side, you may need to do some adjusting to balance the weight on the spit correctly. Since the turkey in this week’s recipe uses only salt, pepper and poultry seasoning for flavoring, wood chips for smoking add a nice flavor. The soaked wood chips may be added to a smoker box or directly to the smoker chip section of your grill if it includes one. I suggest apple or cherry wood since they are not as overwhelming as mesquite or hickory, but if you can obtain some peach wood, the flavor will be very unique.
Somehow, it seems fitting that one of my earliest memories of Thanksgiving was centered in a place that to this day, continues to bring me a great amount of joy. For this, I am truly thankful. No matter what sort of traditions dictate your Thanksgiving meal, both old and new; we should remember to be thankful for the food on the table and the presence of our loved ones. We should also continue to share with those who may not be as fortunate. As next week quickly approaches, I wish you and your family the happiest of Thanksgivings.
Mitch L. Mariani II is a self-taught amateur chef. Questions, comments and suggestions can be directed to him through e-mail at Mi*******************@***oo.com. For tips and recipes, visit www.geocities.com/
MixedGrillSouthValley.
